2023-08456. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control System

AGENCY:

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION:

Notice of availability and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

This document provides the public with notice that, on April 7, 2023, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) system in order to support the implementation of PTC on its commuter rail network. On MBTA's North Side, the PTC System in the area is being reconfigured and must be taken out of service during the recommissioning of Automatic Train Control (ATC) and the subsequent recommissioning of MBTA's Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System II (ACSES II). FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on the railroad's RFA to its PTC system.

DATES:

FRA will consider comments received by May 11, 2023. FRA may consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary modifications to a PTC system.

ADDRESSES:

 

Comments: Comments may be submitted by going to https://www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions for submitting comments.

Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the applicable docket number. The relevant PTC docket number for this host railroad is Docket No. FRA–2010–0030. For convenience, all active PTC dockets are hyperlinked on FRA's website at https://railroads.dot.gov/​research-development/​program-areas/​train-control/​ptc/​railroads-ptc-dockets. All comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov; this includes any personal information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gabe Neal, Staff Director, Signal, Train Control, and Crossings Division, telephone: [phone], email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In general, Title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 20157(h) requires FRA to certify that a host railroad's PTC system complies with Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 236, subpart I, before the technology may be operated in revenue service. Before making certain changes to an FRA-certified PTC system or the associated FRA-approved PTC Safety Plan (PTCSP), a host railroad must submit, and obtain FRA's approval of, an RFA to its PTC system or PTCSP under 49 CFR 236.1021.

Under 49 CFR 236.1021(e), FRA's regulations provide that FRA will publish a notice in the Federal Register and invite public comment in accordance with 49 CFR part 211, if an RFA includes a request for approval of a material modification of a signal and train control system. Accordingly, this notice informs the public that, on April 7, 2023, MBTA submitted an RFA to its ACSES II system, which seeks FRA's approval to install Construction Zone (CZ) Transponders on MBTA's Western Route Main Line (WRML) segment between June and December 2023. MBTA state that the installation of the CZs is required to implement ATC and to reconfigure and retest PTC on MBTA's WRML. The CZs will result in the suspension of portions of the PTC system on these lines. During this time there will be no revenue passenger operations until the ATC system is placed into operation. Freight and non-revenue passenger operations will be conducted under NORAC rule 241 that limits trains to Restricted Speed. Once the ATC system is in operation, the ATC system along with the operating rules will govern train operations until the test and commissioning of the reconfigured ACSES system is complete. The RFA is available in Docket No. FRA–2010–0030.

Interested parties are invited to comment on MBTA's RFA to its PTC system by submitting written comments or data. During FRA's review of this railroad's RFA, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted within the timeline specified in this notice and to the extent practicable, without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary modifications to a PTC system. See49 CFR 236.1021; see also49 CFR 236.1011(e). Under 49 CFR 236.1021, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve with conditions, or deny a railroad's RFA to its PTC system at FRA's sole discretion.

Privacy Act Notice

In accordance with 49 CFR 211.3, FRA solicits comments from the public to better inform its decisions. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to https://www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/​privacy. See https://www.regulations.gov/​privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. To facilitate comment tracking, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely optional. If you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or confidential information, please contact FRA for alternate submission instructions.

Issued in Washington, DC.

Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams,

Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology.